Oneil Cruz is one of the most exciting players in baseball.

He can also be one of the most frustrating, with heavy swing-and-miss and some odd defensive plays and effort from time to time.

This month, he could be a huge decision ahead of the MLB trade deadline for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

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MLB Trade Rumors has listed Cruz as a top candidate to be traded, with this explanation:

"Pittsburgh’s toolsy center fielder was also notably excluded from the reported list of Pirates’ untouchables. That doesn’t make a trade likely, but there’ll certainly be teams that try to pull him from Pittsburgh. Cruz’s defensive miscues and big strikeout totals are frustrating, but he brings as much raw power as anyone this side of Aaron Judge. He’s on pace to surpass 40 stolen bases and could approach or exceed 30 homers in a relative down season. He’s playing for barely more than the league minimum and controllable for three seasons after this one."

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The 6-foot-7 Cruz is 26 years old. He's conceptually in his prime. And an acquiring team can keep him around for years to come.

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The Pirates probably aren't in a position to trade away generationally talented players. But it's also not clear when their next real contention window will come.

They've got to at least consider the tough questions as the deadline approaches. Is the best way to turn things around a Cruz trade that jumpstarts a rebuild? They've at least got to ask.